Medicare 2026

What to Do in Georgetown Before the Dec. 7 Medicare Deadline

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — The clock is ticking on Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period. From now through December 7, people with Medicare can review, switch, or drop coverage for 2027 — and whatever you decide (or don't decide) will shape your health and drug costs starting January 1.

Georgetown seniors have until Dec. 7 to lock in 2027 coverage

If you like what you have and nothing about it is changing in a way that hurts you, you don't have to do anything. But this is the one window each fall when almost everyone with Medicare has real choices on the table, so it's worth spending an hour to check.

What you can actually do between now and December 7

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is broader than a lot of people realize. During this window, you can:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa.
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
• Join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, drop one, or switch plans.
• Add drug coverage if you have Original Medicare and don't have a Part D plan yet.

Whatever change you make takes effect January 1, 2027. This is the standard AEP timeline set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

One thing AEP does not do: it does not let you sign up for a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy with guaranteed acceptance. Medigap has its own separate rules, and in most cases medical underwriting can apply outside your initial enrollment window.

Why 2027 is a year to actually read the mail

Even if you're happy with your current plan, a few program-level changes make it worth a fresh look:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your prescription spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone. As of 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. You have to opt in.
• IRMAA — the income-based surcharge on Part B and Part D — starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Your plan's "Annual Notice of Change" (ANOC), mailed in late September, spells out what's different for 2027 — premiums, drug tiers, provider network, pharmacy network. If you tossed it, you can usually find it in your online plan account or by calling the plan.

Georgetown is in Scott County — check plans at the county level

Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set by county, not by city. Georgetown sits in Scott County, so when you shop on Medicare's Plan Finder, you'll enter your ZIP code and see the plans offered countywide.

That matters for two reasons. First, a plan that's popular with a neighbor in Fayette or Franklin County may not even be sold in Scott County. Second, provider networks and pharmacy networks can look different across county lines, so a plan name alone doesn't tell you whether your doctor or your pharmacy is in-network.

The mistakes that cost people the most

A few patterns come up every year:

• Auto-renewing without reading the ANOC. Your premium, drug tiers, or preferred pharmacy can change. "Same plan" doesn't always mean "same costs."
• Assuming a drug is still covered. Formularies change each January. Check every prescription you take by name and dose.
• Confusing AEP with the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. MA-OEP runs January 1 – March 31 and is more limited — it lets people already in a Medicare Advantage plan switch once. It is not a second chance to join Advantage from Original Medicare in most cases.
• Trusting one commercial or one phone call. Star Ratings, plan brochures, and TV ads are marketing. Use Medicare.gov or a licensed, unbiased counselor to compare.

Where to get unbiased help — free

You do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to talk to a salesperson to get answers.

• Medicare.gov Plan Finder — enter your ZIP code and your drug list to compare plans side by side.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7, in many languages.
• Kentucky SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free, one-on-one Medicare counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell plans. Kentucky's SHIP is reachable at 1-877-293-7447.